1. Eat-In
I know that this might sound a bit boring and may not be the extravagant date you might have wanted, but buying a few groceries for an easy-to-cook meal can really save you money! For example, a spaghetti meal might break down as such:
1 pkg. noodles: $1.98
1 lb. hamburger: $3.38
1 jar of sauce: $2.08
1 pkg. frozen garlic bread: $2.50
TOTAL: $9.94
Also, cooking together can end up being a really fun time, no one has to worry about dressing up, and you can easily curl up on the couch afterwards to watch that Netflix movie you’ve been waiting to watch together.
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2. Eat Local
This tip is less known, but eating at local restaurants or even delis at local grocery stores is surprisingly a way to save money. This past summer, my boyfriend and my favorite lunch date was picking up chicken strip meals at our hometown grocery store. We would get 3 chicken strips and two deli-type sides for $4 each! There was always someone there that we knew, and we felt good about supporting a local business!
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3. Find the Secretly Cheap Items at Chain Restaurants
Of course, you don’t always want to stay home or eat at a small-town-type restaurant. Sometimes you just crave those chain restaurants! Take time to read the menu, though, because often there will be an item on there that costs less than you think. For instance, one of my boyfriend and my favorite places to eat is Panera. We both get Broccoli Cheddar Soup (our favorite) in a bread bowl (yum, carbs) with a side for only $11.74 total! It is a go-to for our more “let’s go out” kind of date nights.
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4. Drink Water
If you are still underage like we are, and you are thinking about getting a pop or lemonade at a restaurant or even at the movies, I would recommend skipping it! A regular sized soda usually adds on about $2 per person at least! We have discovered that choosing water at restaurants and getting a can of soda from the fridge at home later is saving us a lot of money!
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5. Coupons…the deals!
There are so many coupons out there, especially for eating in a pair. You can cut physical coupons, or there are virtual coupons that exist too. Recently, I have been utilizing Pocket Points which is an app that allows you to rack up points while you sit in classes on various campuses. They then have deals that you can use at many restaurants around! Some of the deals work great for eating out with another person as there is many places that do BOGO deals! Also, my boyfriend and I often will ask if different chain restaurants have student discounts. More often than not, they do and they are usually around 15% off!
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Overall, there is no rule that says eating with your S.O. has to cost a bunch! Have fun trying to find creative ways to save together!